Fantasy Life Gets Release Dates, Multiplayer Details, New Trailer

In just a month or two, gamers will be able to live out their Fantasy Life on the Nintendo 3DS, diving deep into LEVEL-5’s new RPG that lets players divide their time between fishing, crafting, hunting, questing and more. Along with a finalized release date, the developer today announced the inclusion of local and online multiplayer, allowing adventurers to explore the world with up to three players.

Slated to release Stateside on Oct. 24, Fantasy Life will be hitting Europe a bit earlier, launching next month on Sept. 26.

Fantasy Life is basically a cross between Animal Crossing and Rune Factory, with a little MMO class swapping thrown in for good measure. You’ll get to create your own character and get dropped in to a bustling, colorful world where you’re encouraged to pour your time into whatever activities suit you best. As shown in the latest trailer, wherein LEVEL-5 announce the game’s multiplayer functionality, you can mine for materials, then become a blacksmith to create a powerful weapon, then become an adventurer to use that weapon on monsters aplenty. Other classes include hunter, angler, mage, paladin and the like.

The first new mode announced today is Link Mode, which allows players to chat with friends in-game, even if they aren’t actually playing on the same map. Along with being able to chat back and forth with your best buds, you’ll also be able to let your friends know about your greatest achievements, which they can then “Applaud” in game.

For those who like to take their multiplayer experience quite a bit further than online chat, however, three-player adventuring is also an option using local wireless or online features.

“So whether you are in need of reinforcements to defeat a powerful monster, or are seeking to trade certain items with friends via an in-game Exchange Box, taking part in cooperative play with friends will help you accumulate much-needed experience and items to aid in your adventure,” reads a press release from the developer.

Fantasy Life will also boast a unique StreetPass functionality, which will make the avatars of people you meet out in the real world pop up as new citizens of your personal Reveria city.

“Befriend these fellow players, and you may even receive new items,” continues today’s announcement. “Meanwhile, in order to capture your most exciting moments in Reveria, you can also unlock the Snapshots function, which will enable you to capture in-game screenshots by pressing the Start button—just another way to show off your adventures to others.”

So, along with crafting an adventure around your personal tastes, it looks like Fantasy Life is all about making those experiences social, too.